It is well-known in motor vehicle bodies to provide a hatchback opening which provides both a rear window opening and an opening for access to the luggage compartment.
It is also known to provide a glass panel hingedly mounted on the vehicle roof for movement between positions opening and closing the hatchback opening. A tail membr of stamped steel or molded plastic construction is mounted at the rear end of the glass panel and mounts a latch striker for latching with a latch mounted on the vehicle body to latch the glass panel in the closed position. A pair of telescoping struts are conventionally provided between the vehicle body and the tail member to bias the glass panel to a pivotally raised open position.
It is also known to provide a decorative molding which extends around the edge of the glass panel and is attached to both the tail member and the hinges so that the decorative molding and the telescoping struts cooperate to hold the tail member at the angularly raised position in the event of breakage of the glass panel.
The foregoing conventional arrangement of a hatchback closure has proven successful in motor vehicle applications where the tail member has a relatively light weight and is connected with the telescoping struts at or near its center of gravity so that the tail member remains supported at the angularly raised position by the decorative molding in the event of breakage of the glass panel.
In some motor vehicle bodies, various design and structural considerations require that the telescoping struts be mounted to the tail member at a point substantially forward from the center of gravity of the tail member. Accordingly, in the event of breakage of the glass panel, gravity acting on the tail member may cause a downward rotational force which exceeds the strength of the decorative molding. Furthermore, the mounting of an air deflecting spoiler or a wiper assembly on the tail member may add substantial weight which increases the tendency for downward rotation of the tail member.
The object, feature and advantage of the present invention resides in improvements to the construction of a glass hatchback closure panel construction so that the tail member is supported against downward pivotal rotation about its point of attachment to the telescoping struts irrespective of the tail member having a substantial weight spaced from the point of attachment between the tail member and the telescoping struts.
More particularly, the object, feature and advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotation limiting device in the connection between the telescoping struts and the tail member so that the tail member cannot rotate downwardly about its point of attachment with the struts as would be otherwise be permitted by bending of the decorative molding upon breakage of the glass panel.